absolve
verb
Simple meaning
To pronounce free from or give absolution for a penalty, blame.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
uhbzahlvSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
əbˈzɑlv
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
transitive
To pronounce free from or give absolution for a penalty, blame, or guilt.
transitivelaw
To pronounce not guilty; to grant a pardon for.
Grant remission of a sin to
“The priest absolved him and told him to say ten Hail Marys.”
transitive
To set free, release or discharge (from obligations, debts, responsibility etc.).
transitive
To pass a course or test; to gain credit for a class; to qualify academically.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient (estimated)
- Frequency
- Rare
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: To pronounce free from or give absolution for a penalty, blame, or guilt.
To 'absolve' someone is to formally declare them free from guilt, blame, or responsibility. It's a stronger and more formal act than simply 'forgiving' and often implies a judgment has been made.
- Emotional tone
- Negative
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Moderate
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Critical or judgemental
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where you'll really hear it
Legal proceedings
“The jury's verdict served to absolve the defendant of all charges.”
Religious contexts
“The confessor can absolve the penitent of their sins.”
Formal apologies/statements
“No apology could truly absolve him of his past misdeeds.”
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use absolve
- “The priest absolved him and told him to say ten Hail Marys.”verb
- “I absolve you from this responsibility.”verb
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “absolve” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.